pick_me

4/18/2008

It's Alive: Juanita Hatten Bougainvillea

bougainvillea
Juanita Hatten Bougainvillea alive and kicking.


Just not too long ago I was thinking of throwing out the stump of the Bougainvillea and potting something else in it's place. It had died back and was showing no sign of life. Now look at it! It's a whopping 11" tall.

bougainvillea
The Bougainvillea on March 31st.


At the end of March a sign of life arrived. I wasn't getting my hopes up in case something went wrong. There were actually two of these little guys growing at the base of the old wood. One of them fell off when I watered one day. Goes to show yet again that patience pays off. I'm always surprised how tough plants are. The moment I think that today is the day I will throw them away they awaken. Really I'm lucky because they don't normally come back here. Not sure what I did to make it live the very short winter. Others I spoke to lost theirs. I'm happy it's back, it makes a great show. If my Corkscrew Vines and Jasmine Vine reach where I want them to it will look stunning in this corner of the balcony. The bougainvillea will really stand out against the vine blooms.

7 comments:

garden girl said...

My husband's and my first vacation together was to Mexico. The balconies of the hotel rooms all had little gardens surrounding them, and bougainvilleas were among the plants. I pressed a few of the wind-blown bracts into a book I was reading while we there. I have a habit of doing that, and love the surprise when I re-read a book and find flowers pressed between the pages. Bougainvilleas bring back happy memories for me.

There's a beautiful one they overwintered at the greenhouse where I work, and I've been lusting after it for almost a year. Now that I have a good grow light in my basement, I just might have to buy that bougainvillea!

I'm glad yours made it through the winter. It's so exciting when a plant you think is dead comes back!

Zoƫ said...

cant imagine even attempting Bougainvilleas outside a glass houses here, how wonderful - have to holiday in Spain and Greece to see that in Europe!

Think thats what so great about Blotanical, the opporunity to peak in other peoples gardens and see the differences and the similiarities.

Mary Beth said...

Bougainvillea will be so beautiful on your balcony! Does your blog have a new look? Very attractive!

Element said...

I love Bougainvilleas they are great plants, and you can do almost anything to them and they come back. I had my growing on my screened in plastic lined porch and my bloomed all winter. I was told by someone that in our area of TX they can com back after winter if they are properly mulched before first frost, cut back, kept close to the house/building and protected from the wind. They come back from the roots.

I can't wait to see it bloom!

Nancy said...

Never underestimate a bougainvillea...they are tough plants. However, now that yours has been exposed to cold weather, if it didn't have thorns before, it will have them now. And they are some wicked sharp thorns. But they are so beautiful!

Priscilla George said...

garden girl- What a nice story! Pressing flowers into books sounds like a nice surprise for later. You can try growing them in your basement, tell me how it goes.

zoe- Blotanical is great for just that reason. I keep reading Florida blogs amazed at all the tropical plants they can grow that I can't. Of course there are more blogs that don't have killer heat that grow plants I can't touch with a stick.

nancy J- I think the bougainvillea is well on it's way to a happy year. I dont forsee anything bad happening to it.

mary beth- It will look wonderful. Yes I do have a new blog look. The other one wasn't looking write to me so I changed things up. Thank You.

element- I had no idea if they come back but many people buy a lot of them every year.

nancy- there was a bit of cold weather but I guess not long or sever enough to kill it. It did have thorns last year so I'm prepared.

Anonymous said...

Hi. Came across your website while I was googling up 'bouganvilla sprout'. I'm in the UAE, with a bedroom window that looks out east, so have plenty of morning sun. Thought of growing bouganvillae on my window sill. Just inserted a two 6 inch cuttings into a not-so-deep pot today. Let's see how these turn out! :-)